AUGUSTA, GA -- The Peach Belt Conference has released the 2024 men's basketball season preview with both the preseason All-Conference team and the coaches poll.
Lander sits atop the men's basketball preseason coaches poll for the first time since 1999. The Bearcats have improved their conference standings in each of the last four years, finishing third in the table last season, reaching the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year and advancing to the regional championship game. Lander returns three seniors along with seven juniors for 2024-25 with All-Conference standouts Inady Legiste, Phillip Burwell and Jacob Cooper all returning.
Augusta is second in the coaches poll. After regular-season and tournament titles in 2022 and 2023, the Jaguars were fifth in the league last season, but return four of their top six scorers from last season including All-Conference guard Demitri Gardner.
North Georgia is third in the preseason poll following a historic season that saw them reach the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time in program history. The 2024-25 Nighthawks return two seniors along with five juniors including first-team All-Conference guard AJ White.
Preseason Coaches Poll
| Rank |
Team |
Points |
| 1. |
Lander (4) |
75 |
| 2. |
Augusta (2) |
68 |
| 3. |
North Georgia (1) |
62 |
| 4. |
USC Aiken (2) |
59 |
| 5. |
Columbus State (1) |
50 |
| 6. |
Flagler |
47 |
| 7. |
Georgia College & State University |
28 |
| 8. |
Georgia Southwestern |
27 |
| 9. |
Clayton State |
18 |
| 10. |
USC Beaufort |
16 |
2024-25 Men's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team
Demitri Gardner, Augusta
- A junior guard from Winchester, Va.
- A PBC second-team All-Conference selection in 2023-24...led the team and was ranked fourth in the PBC in scoring at 17.5 ppg...also ranked 10th in the league in field goal percentage
- Had seven games scoring 20 or points...hit his career-high twice with 29 points against Virginia Union and USC Beaufort
Inady Legiste, Lander
- A junior forward from Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
- A PBC first-team All-Conference selection last year, he led the team in scoring and rebounding with 13.0 points and 5.9 rebounds per game...ranked fifth in the league in blocks and field goal percentage
- Had four games with 20 or more points...had back-to-back 20-point, 10-rebound games in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament as the Bearcats reached the regional final...had four double-doubles on the season
Jalen McCoy, USC Aiken
- A senior guard from Raleigh, N.C.
- A PBC All-Conference selection last season, he led the Peach Belt in scoring with 18.7ppg...also ranked third in the league in field goal percentage...named the PBC Player of the Week four times
- Scored 35 points against GCSU, the second-highest single-game scoring total in the PBC last season...scored his 1,000th career point against Flagler...had two 30+ point games and eight games with 20 or more
Brendan Rigsbee, Georgia College & State University
- A junior guard from Suwanee, Ga.
- A PBC All-Conference selection last year, he led the team and was tied for sixth in the PBC in scoring with 16.8 ppg...ranked seventh in the league in field goal percentage and 13th in assists
- Twice named the PBC Player of the Week last year, he scored 20 or more points 11 times with a high of 30 against USC Aiken
AJ White, North Georgia
- A junior guard from Memphis, Tenn.
- A PBC first-team All-Conference selection last season, he was also named NABC All-District first team and a PBC Player of the Week
- Ranked sixth in the PBC in scoring with 16.8 ppg...also ninth in made three-pointers per game...third in field goal percentage...ninth in assists...scored his 1,000th career point in the NCAA Elite Eight
Team Interviews